No, Doctor Hell is not involved. Silly Kouji, there is no Mazinger Z plot in this game.

The characters are on leave! But not all of them - only the obnoxiously Japanese ones.

Gou: This place is small and peaceful... it doesn't feel like a fortified island at all.Anna: It's just like a traditional Japanese village! I prefer large cities and their bustling life though. This is boring...Gou: I prefer boring, thank you very much.Tsubaki: Hey guys, don't argue! We will have enough personal drama soon enough.

Anna: Still, it's good to have some free time, right Lou?Lou: ...Gou: Why so absentminded? She'd better not be thinking about pilot training again...

Sheldia: Too bad we had to draw lots to see who can go out. I hope Anna'll appreciate mine! That way she can be with Gou - and I can be with Mist!

Unfortunately, thinking out loud is not always a good idea if you're carrying heavy loads...

Sheldia: Woah! Oops...Mist: What are you doing? Damn, do you have no sense of balance at all?! The crate's all broken now!Sheldia: Mist... you idiot! Mist: I didn't need her help anyway...Daimon: Touchier than usual, aren't you?

Old man Daimon, Daiku Maryu engineer

(He's been around all the time, he just... didn't have anything important to say)

Daimon: She stormed off in rage. You should follow her.Mist: While everyone is enjoying their little vacation, thousands of people are fighting and dying in Berlin right now! And I bet Archangel's crew is involved in killing some of them. You want me to be concerned about one girl's feelings while THAT happens?

The mood oboard Daiku Maryu is pretty foul... and it's bound to get worse:

Lou: I'm ready, mr Dick!Dick: That's the spirit! Remember, I won't consider you ready to pilot until you beat at least an A-grade difficulty scenario. Let's hit the simulators.

Yukie: What is going on here? Outsiders on my school's grounds?Gou: My apologies. We were surprised to find a school on an island like this so we decided to pay a visit... and then these two fools wanted to test out the track field!Daiya: Woo, first! You know, I trained sprinting all my life!Jeeg-Kenji: Damn he's fast! Should've brought my motorcycle...Daiya: To a foot race?

Fafner-Kenji: Hey, look. People from outside the island.Maya: Hello!Anna: Umm... hello?Yukie: Don't talk with them, just follow me!Carmen: Wow, what a nasty woman. Want to see where the whole group was headed? Let's follow them. Sneakily.

Mamoru: It's a secret underground base! Just like in manga!Fafner-Kenji: I can't believe I'm going to pilot a Fafner. Imagine how impressed the girls will be!Kouyou: Shouko is always sick, and Sakura was so angry recently... is it really okay to bring them here?

Fumihiko, forget that. Using the <main character's> <relative> format for Fafner people now. There's like a billion of them.

Kazuki's father: Why are you sneaking around Alvis if you have permission to be here in the first place?Carmen: Ack, discovered!Gou: We are terribly sorry! Man, I have to apologize for everyone today... anyway, we just followed a group of high schoolers and their teacher?Kazuki's father: Ah, the potential Fafner pilots.Gou: What! But they're just kids, without any fighting experience!Kazuki's father: It's not about experience or physical ability. All you need to pilot the Fafner is Synergetic Code... and that's why us adults cannot pilot them at all. I hate having to use our children as shields for this island's defense - but we have no choice.

Hester: Ah. So I can finally talk with the people of treasured Tatsumiya Island.Kazuki's father: And this is why. I know who you are, Hester Gallop. And I know why you are calling us, so please make it quick and state your demands.Hester: We need your cooperation to defend humanity against its enemies, Festum or otherwise. Hand over your Nothung model Fafners - this precious technology will let everyone fight the Festum on equal footing.Kazuki's father: I understand. We'll do it.Anna: Whaaaat!Jeeg-Kenji: You gonna bow down to them, old man? That's soft!Kazuki's father: Call me a coward if you want. But think about the situation Tatsumiya is in! We do not have the power to fight Festum AND the New UN at the same time.

Mamoru: Too intense! But... I'll do it!Maya: I'm still okay, it's only training! Shouko, how are you holding up? Shouko?Shouko: Why is everything spinning like that...Kouyou: Aah! She fainted!

Maya: Ah, you came by! I'm glad - everyone was worried, you know.Shouko: I'm sorry for always being trouble, Maya. I just wanted to protect the island with everyone...Shouko's mom: Stay in bed for now, Shouko. I'll talk with commander Makabe - you shouldn't force yourself to pilot anything if you don't want to.

Youko Kazama, Shouko's mother

Shouko's mom: But first, make sure to say thank you to Kazuki and Kouyou. They helped carry you here.Kazuki: Don't mention it, really...Shouko: And you were waiting for me here all the time?Kouyou: Umm, well...Maya: Of course they were!

Suddenly, alert!

Kazuki: Crap, this is my call! I gotta go!

Shouko: Kazuki-kun, please wait!Kazuki: Oh?Shouko: I know I can't do much, but... I'll keep Tatsumiya Island safe while you are gone. So don't worry about us. It's a promise.Kazuki: Where did that come from? But, alright. That's a relief to hear. Thanks.

Festum: [Are you there?]Alliance soldier: Get away from me, you monster! No! AAAAH!

Garis: We're too late! The Alliance patrol we were supposed to rescue is wiped out!Rosa: And all by just one Festum? Keep your guard up, everyone!

Lou: Wait!

Lou: I will avenge my father! I'm ready! Let's go Cosmo Divekyaaah!Gou: Lou! What are you doing in that machine, get out of there while you still can!Dick: *whistles innocently*

Lou: I... I can't give up yet! Diver Tornado!Gou: It's Dick, isn't it! Dick taught you - you're both in for a stern lecture when we return to the base!

Soushi: Don't respond to the Festum, no matter what it says. And watch out, it can read your mind to predict your attacks.Van: Read my mind all you want, monster. All you will find are memories of Elena!Jeeg-Kenji: Yeah, and all you'll find in my mind is porn!Cagalli: Right, going there won't be necessary... I got this!

Anna: Are you okay, Lou?Lou: Umm...

Gou: Get on board now, Lou. And no "but"s.Dick: So he can be hard if he wants to, huh? Maybe I should run away in the night...

Soushi: More Festum detected. Watch out, all units. They have more than just the Sphinx type we encountered earlier.Kazuki: There's so many!

Indeed. And they're no weaker than what we faced already. Ha ha ha. Now you know why the update's name is how it is.

Shouko's mom: Shouko! What are you doing?Shouko: I'm going to pilot Fafner, mother.Shouko's mom: No! That's ridiculous - Mark Sechs didn't finish testing yet. And your body is so weak... if you go out there, you will die!Shouko: It's okay. I made a promise...Shouko's mom: You don't have to sacrifice yourself for the island!Shouko: It's not for Tatsumiya. I made this promise to Kazuki. Mom... you do not have to grieve for me. I know that I am not really your daughter. I'm sorry.

Kazuki's dad: What is this? Mark Sechs launched?!Shouko's mom: It's Shouko! Commander, please stop her!Soushi: ... Continue the operation, Mark Sechs.Kazuki's dad: What!Soushi: Hazama is our only chance. If she does not hold the Festum off, we are all dead.

Sheldia: That was nothing!Mist: Why did you protect me, Sheldia? We fought recently!Sheldia: I know, and it hurt! But you're still Mist, and I'll still be your partner! No matter what.

Soushi: The Festum is retreating now. Why did it... I see another one!

Kazuki: And it leaves again. It looked like it only observed us.

Kazuki's dad: Festum act strangely, and control Mimetic Beasts. I wish I knew what was going on.

: I think he is judging us. He's similar to me.

Tsubaki Minashiro, Soushi's mysterious little sister

Fafner-Tsubaki: Umm, and. Please don't be sad for Shouko. She was at peace with herself and what she had to do. But Kazuki is depressed now. Can you cheer him up, big brother?Soushi: I... will try. But I cannot promise anything.

Jeeg-Tsubaki: That unit... was piloted by your friend? I'm sorry, we had no idea...Kazuki: It's alright. I'm sorry if it sounds rude, but you cannot understand how I you feel now. I just need to... be alone.Gou: It is just like five years ago. With me and Mira.

Soushi: It is a shame about Hazama. She did not have to destroy Mark Sechs to achieve her goal.Kazuki: Soushi, you...! How can you say that! What matters more to you, Shouko's life or the Fafner?Soushi: Isn't it obvious? It's...

Kazuki: Kouyou!Kouyou: Kazuki! You were out there, weren't you?! Then why didn't you... why did you let Shouko die!Kazuki: I...Kouyou: We are standing here because of her! She only wanted to live a little, live normally like us, and now she's dead! Does that seem right to you?Soushi: We do what we must, so the island can survive.

Lee: And there they all go. I hope these poor kids do not develop a grudge or anything. I've been there - it's not pretty.

Garis: Considering the current circumstances, we are leaving Tatsumiya Island. We did all we could here - it is time to join with Archangel.Sakon: As soon as we leave Tatsumiya's cloaking field, we'll be able to receive transmissions from Captain Ramius. I wonder what happened while we were blacked out?

Sheldia: Mist... you were so angry about humans fighting each other. Do you hate them all now?Mist: No! It's the fact they fight each other is what I hate! They should all get together, like on your home planet! It was peaceful.Sheldia: On Bezard... in my home village...Mist: Yes?Sheldia: My little sister, Lem, it was prophesied she will break the sacred stone that protected us. Everyone shunned her and some even wanted to kill her.Mist: What! And I thought Bezard was nice! Are all places in the universe total crap like Earth?Sheldia: The villagers were afraid, they acted in self defense y'know. Would you... kill those who wanna hurt me? In self defense?Mist: What kind of question is that?Sheldia: I would kill those who wanna hurt you. Because... after Bezard and Lem are gone... what else do I have if not you, Mist!

And so ends the route split - we will meet up with the rest of the team soon enough. I wonder did they had lighter, less dramatic/angsty adventures. Spoilers: they didn't.

Here's an actual secret-related spoiler though.[spoiler]You do not HAVE to destroy the initial Festum in 2 turns. It is just required for Fafner secrets. Also, not letting Lou engage any Mimetic Beasts in a fight was a Godannar secret. Too bad these two are mutually exclusive, but so far let's try to clear steps required for both.[/spoiler]

And a new unit!Cosmo Diver: for a support repair robot, it's actually quite good. It has great terrain rankings in space and, a rarity - underwater. Its attacks are not too strong, but for a support unit they'll do. The Diver can also transform into a flight form if we need extra mobility.

Mark Elf stays with Tatsumiya. But one thing for sure, we won't be upgrading it for the rest of the game. Seriously.Okay, maybe 90% of the game.

"While I'm away, will you please take care of yourself? [Alcohol] is not good for your health.""Alcohol is humanity's friend. Can I abandon a friend?""Even if people think so, what about the alcohol?""It's always alcohol's real wish to be drunk."

Spoiled out of respect for the genuinely sad moment from this update.[spoiler]The whole 'how dare you cooperate with the bullying forces trying to save the rest of the world' thing does work better in SRW than it did in the original series, as well, probably because there are other opponents that the UN is fighting that aren't frakking eldritch horrors.

Clever trick for taking the Festum out in two turns, Cubey. [/spoiler]